What We're Watching: Cathy

The Way

Martin Sheen plays a father, Tom, who must travel to Spain to bring back the body of his son, Daniel, (played by Emilio Estevez) who has died at the beginning of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. He decides to do the pilgrimage in his son's place and cremates his son so that he can take him on the journey. At the beginning of the walk, Tom refuses to have anything to do with his fellow pilgrims, not sharing his grief or hardly even the time of day. Three of those pilgrims: Joost from Amsterdam, Sarah from Canada, and Jack from Ireland don't seem to want to leave him alone.  Eventually he comes to see that he does need other people to help him through. It's a wonderful, quiet adventure with comedy and sadness thrown in too.

What We're Watching: Brenda

Obesity in a Bottle: Understanding Liquid Calories & Nutrition and Obesity in a Bottle II: How to Pick Healthy Beverages by Learning ZoneXpress

These are two great DVDs that will help you and your family make the right choices when selecting a healthy beverage to drink.

The first DVD "Understanding Liquid Calories & Nutrition" is aimed at children in the 5th grade and above. It is definitely corny but has tons of good information in it. It talks about the relationship between weight gain and the empty calories in soda and juices, the increase in serving size over the years, the dangers of diet soda, and the negative effects of energy drinks among other topics. It ends with a segment on the benefits of drinking water.

The second DVD "How to Pick Healthy Beverages" is aimed at children in the 9th grade and above. This DVD is narrated by a nutrition expert and is not nearly as corny. I think it would be better received by older children who may not be able to get past the silliness of the first DVD. It talks about how much sugar is in many popular beverages that most people would probably think are healthy options. It also stresses the importance of looking at the label and checking both the nutrition information and the ingredient list. Finally it discusses what to drink when participating in sports activities and some myths about caffeine.

These are both great DVDs to either watch on your own to make healthy choices for your younger children or to watch together as a family with older kids.

What We're Reading: Cathy

Becoming Queen Victoria by Kate Williams

Did you see the movie The Young Victoria with Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend? It's an excellent depiction of the way Victoria lived before she became queen and the early years of her marriage to Prince Albert. I highly recommend it. This book (Becoming Queen Victoria) is more in depth version of that story. The first part of the book is the story of Princess Charlotte who everyone thought would be the next Queen. She died in childbirth however. It is truly amazing that at this point, King George III's 13 children had given him 56 grandchildren but not a single legitimate heir. So the race was on to produce a new heir to the throne. The king's brother Edward, Duke of Kent won and produced Princess Victoria. She had a rather unhappy childhood, restricted by her very controlling mother and her advisor John Conroy. One month after her 18th birthday, Victoria became queen. Her life and the life of the nation were changed forever. Victoria's reign ended the self-indulgent Regency era and introduced an age of wholesome family values (to use a modern term) which may have saved the crown.

What We're Watching: Laurie

A Serious Man written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Starring Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Fred Melamed and Sari Lennick.

This black comedy centers on physics professor Larry Gopnik (Stuhlbarg) and his quest to find meaning and answers in his life. Gopnik's world suddenly unravels without notice: his wife is having an affair with his best friend, someone is sending very unflattering letters about him to his boss, his brother is an unwelcome guest in his home, his children are ungrateful and unappreciative of him, and one of his students offers him a substantial bribe for a passing grade. Gopnik turns to his faith in hopes of finding guidance and wisdom, but the three rabbis who council him only dole out platitudes. Dark, humorous and interesting as are most of the Coen brothers films. Rated R.

What We're Watching: Laurie

The Wrestler directed by Darren Aronofsky. Starring Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, and Evan Rachel Wood.

Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Rourke) is a washed up wrestler. He has been out of the spotlight for twenty years and has had a difficult time adjusting to life outside the ring. Randy does not know how to function in daily life. He has no relationship with his daughter (Wood) and flirts with a woman (Tomei) who works as an exotic dancer at a local club. Randy tries to pull his life together by getting a job at a grocery store deli counter, trying to repair his relationship with his daughter and hoping to cultivate a relationship with "Cassidy", but fails miserably in all three areas. After enduring heart bypass surgery, "The Ram" feels his last hope is to wrestle against his arch nemesis "The Ayatollah" to gain respect from the wrestling community and his fans- the only people he believes truly love him. Rated R.

What We're Watching: Laurie

Whatever Works written and directed by Woody Allen. Starring Larry David, Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson and Ed Begley, Jr.

Boris Yellnikoff (David) is very jaded and cynical. Boris talks endlessly about how ignorant people are and constantly condescends to those who do not share his views. One evening he meets a young woman who has run away from her home in rural Mississippi to make a life for herself in New York. Melody (Wood) moves in with Boris and he begins to mold her personality and small town ideals to mirror his own. Melody eventually marries Boris, and they both seem to be happy, until Melody's parents track her down and drastically change all of their lives forever. Rated PG-13.

What We're Watching: Laurie

The Hurt Locker directed by Kathryn Bigelow.


The Hurt Locker follows the lives of three soldiers stationed in Baghdad who are part of the U.S. Army's Bravo Company bomb disposal unit. Staff Sgt. Will James is the new tech leader of Bravo Company and is very confident and fearless. He takes on the responsibility of suiting up to try to dismantle roadside bombs mainly for the thrill regardless of how his actions will affect his fellow soldiers or civilians. Sgt. J.T. Sanborn is very straight forward and follows protocols strictly by the book. He expects his fellow soldiers to do the same and Sgt. James' arrogance causes a lot of tension within Bravo Company. Specialist Owen Eldridge is very timid and insecure. He constantly worries that an error in judgement will bring death and destruction to his team and innocent civilians. This film is full of action and many tense moments. It explores the vast personal differences between men who must work together in very dangerous situations for the common good. Rated R.

What We're Watching: Laurie

8 1/2 written and directed by Federico Fellini. Starring Marcello Mastroianni, Claudia Cardinale, Anouk Aimee, Sandra Milo, Rosella Falk and Barbara Steele.

Guido Anselmi (Mastroianni) had huge success with a previous film and is now desperately grasping at ideas to create a new cohesive vision. Anselmi wants to write and shoot an honest picture but is at a crossroads. His creative juices are not flowing and he is uninspired. Guido does not really want to work on a new project and he feels pressure from the press, producers and previous actors to make another successful film. Guido checks himself into a spa, hoping this will help relax him, but ends up feeling suffocated as all of the people he has been trying to avoid are at the spa. Guido invites his wife to join him, hoping she will help inspire him, but things go horribly wrong when Guido's wife comes in contact with his mistress. This causes to Guido to re-evaluate his entire life, especially his view of women, and his film becomes autobiographical. This film combines one man's realities, fantasies and inner turmoil and how these translate into all humankind relating to one another and coexisting in the world.

What We're Watching: Laurie

What Would Jesus Buy? Directed by Rob VanAlkemade.

This documentary explores an addiction that affects millions of Americans: shopping. This funny and irreverent film follows political performance activists Reverend Billy and The Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir across America to alert consumers to stop the "Shopocalypse". His message is clearly to bring attention to over spending in America, especially during the Christmas season, and the mountain of long-term debt people create for themselves. Rated PG.

What We're Watching: Laurie

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead.
Directed by Sidney Lumet.
Starring Ethan Hawke, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Albert Finney and Marisa Tomei.

Andy (Hoffman) and Hank (Hawke) Hanson are brothers with financial problems. Andy comes up with a plan to rob a jewelry store and begs Hank to carry it out. They finally agree to no guns, no violence and no victims. The plan seems simple enough until Hank brings along an accomplice who decides not to stick to the rules. The simple plan unravels and the brothers find themselves dealing with tragic consequences. Rated R.

What We're Watching: Mary

Venus Beaute (Institut)

This French film, originally released in 1999, features a 40 year old, somewhat jaded beautician Angele (Nathalie Baye), who seems destined to fail in love. The plot line follows her constantly seeking love in the wrong places, with the wrong men. On either side of her search, are juxtaposed two men: One is a former lover, towards whom she feels eternally guilty after accidentally scarring his face when a gun she was holding went off; and a new prospective lover who develops an infatuation for her that borders upon stalking.

Adding to the development of the plot, are the personalities of her co-workers. One is young and innocent; another somewhat cynical; and the third is her responsible boss. Angele's character is well crafted, in that she has all three of these elements with in her own personality, and they are seen waxing and waning in different situations throughout the film.

The background of the film is very inviting, as much of Angele's life is seen in the context of her work a day world of her somewhat "posh" beauty salon. The staff and clients come in and out of her world accompanied by a delicate bell like tinkling each time the door opens or closes.

After several steps, both back towards her old relationship, and forward to a possible new one, in the end a final, satisfying direction is taken, that seemlessly pulls in the few straggling lose ends.

What We're Reading: Laurie

Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl.


Dahl writes the story of a family of foxes whose father is very clever and very brave. Mr. Fox provides for his family by stealing chickens, turkeys and other meat from three farmers. When Farmer Boggis, Farmer Bunce and Farmer Bean have had enough of the fox stealing their goods, they decide to outsmart Mr. Fox by surrounding his home (foxhole). This seems like a fantastic plan, but will it work? Read the story to find out if the farmers can out fox this fox.

The movie, directed by Wes Anderson, (The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou) stars George Clooney as Mr. Fox and Meryl Streep as Mrs. Fox. The film is now in theaters and it will be interesting to see how Anderson brings this story to life.

What We're Watching: Kathryn

The Raven, starring Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff 1935

The first movie of the series of classic horror flicks we are showing as part of the library's Edgar Allan Poe Month, this was great to rewatch! The black-and-white film features all the great ingredients for a spooky old movie: trapdoors in the study that lead to secret rooms, cobwebs in the hidden corridors, torture devices, a stormy night with banging shutters and of course, the actors' hilarious takes to the camera before the peals of insane madman laughter. I can't wait for the rest of the movies!

Edgar Allan Poe Month is sponsored in part by the Michigan Humanities Council and the Friends of the Sterling Heights Public Library. For more information on the entire Edgar Allan Poe Month event schedule, visit our Web site!

Spend October with Edgar Allan Poe @ the library!

Edgar Allan Poe Month @ the Sterling Heights Public Library begins in 10 days! The special month of activities centered around one of America's greatest authors runs from Oct. 1-31. Movies, a book discussion, a lecture by the president of the Poe Studies Association and a performance by a band are planned. Click HERE to check out our Web site for more information!

What We're Watching: Kathryn

The Wrestler
Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood
This film, about a wrestler who must retire due to heath problems, but can’t get used to life outside the ring, was surprisingly touching to me. It was hard to watch because it was steeped in sadness, but touching as you see the main character, Randy “The Ram” Robinson try to make amends with his estranged daughter, get a full time job at a grocery store and try to make new life for himself. This movie is what it is due to the superb performance by Mickey Rourke. He completely deserved the Academy Award nomination, Golden Globe win and buzz about his comeback. His pain and desperation were palpable.

Family Movie Night

The library will be holding a free Family Movie night tomorrow, Aug. 20 at 7 p.m. Come see Bedtime Stories with Adam Sandler in the Library Programming Center. Refreshments will be available for purchase, with proceeds benefiting the Friends of the Library.

Twilight for Teens

Teens! Head to the library this Thursday, Aug. 13 at 2:30 p.m. to watch the movie Twilight. The free movie will be shown in the Library Programming Center and snacks will be served.